Economy Is Top Issue For 1992

Looking ahead

Local Incumbents And Challengers Are Focusing On Pocketbook Matters As The Country's Financial Status Remains In The Doldrums.

January 2, 1992|By Rick Tonyan Of The Sentinel Staff

DELAND — Seven months before candidates can qualify for ballots in Volusia County, issues for 1992's elections already are becoming clear.

The three top campaign issues, in order of importance to candidates, are the economy, the economy and the economy. Followed closely by a fourth: the economy.

Local incumbents and potential challengers are hitting on pocketbook issues as they eye political jobs ranging from U.S. representative to County Council member.

Each has a different way of saying it, but the theme is the same: The economy must be improved.

''I think the economy is the No. 1 issue. Jobs are No. 2. Economic development is No. 3,'' said County Council member Big John. ''It's all the same. I'm just using different words to make sure everybody understands.''

John now holds an at-large seat on the council, but he has reached the maximum two straight four-year terms allowed at-large members by the county home-rule charter.

That puts John's seat up for grabs and several candidates are expected to seek it. Offices without incumbents historically have had the largest number of candidates.

The at-large seat, state House of Representatives District 29 and the Group 10 judgeship in the 7th Judicial Circuit are the prominent jobs for which the incumbent is not seeking reelection.

District 29 Rep. T.K. Wetherell is retiring and Group 10 Circuit Judge Robert Perry already has resigned.

Both the council seat and the judgeship are non-partisan, meaning that candidates run without party affiliation. The District 30 race is partisan, meaning that candidates run as representatives of their parties.

Voters will get their first chance to go to the polls on March 10, when the state holds its presidential preference primary. Deltona residents also will vote that day on whether to tax themselves to finance a new library.

Campaigns for other offices begin in earnest during the July qualifying periods.

Candidates for federal offices, including the District 4 U.S. House seat that represents Volusia, will qualify from noon July 6 to noon July 10. Write-in candidates may qualify as late as noon July 17.

Those seeking state and local offices qualify from noon July 13 until noon July 17. Write-ins for those offices have until noon July 24 to qualify.

The first test of candidates' vote-getting abilities will come during the first primary Sept. 1.

Voters will choose party nominees when more than one candidate from a party qualified for a partisan race.

The Sept. 1 ballot also will narrow the field when more than two candidates qualify for a non-partisan office. If a non-partisan candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, that candidate will be elected to the office.

That primary also will settle partisan races in which candidates from only one party qualified and judicial races in which there are no more than two candidates.

If there are three or more candidates in a party's primary and nobody gets a majority of the votes, there will be runoffs.

Those runoffs had been scheduled for Sept 29, but state Division of Elections officials said that will change because it conflicts with the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashana. The state Legislature, during a session that begins Jan. 14, will set a new date.

Partisan contests in which no more than one candidate per party qualified and non-partisan races in which no more than two candidates qualified will go directly to the general election ballot.

Voters in the Nov. 3 election will decide between the winners of partisan primaries. The general election ballot also will have runoffs between the top two vote-getters in judicial and non-partisan contests in which there were at least three candidates and none of them got a clear majority in the primary.